


Best Out of Three

by starkly



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-13
Updated: 2013-12-13
Packaged: 2018-01-04 12:45:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1081169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkly/pseuds/starkly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony’s gotten a little too used to the suit’s auto-targeting. Set post IM3.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Best Out of Three

**Author's Note:**

> Written for avengerkink shortly after Iron Man 3 came out.

"By the way, you’ve gotten a little rusty with your firearms outside the suit," Rhodey remarks just as Tony takes a huge bite out of his sandwich, so all he can do is stare helplessly at Rhodey as he continues. "Once things settle down we can work on your aim again."

"Hold on there," Tony protests through a mouthful of ham and cheese, making a ‘time out’ gesture with his hands, "I don’t need to work on anything."

Rhodey raises an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “I was trying to hit the lightbulb?” he says, sarcasm heavy in his tone as he repeats Tony’s words from that night on the oil-drilling platform.

Tony picks his sandwich back up, looking unconcerned. “It was a high-pressure situation, not everybody’s perfect.”

"If you think calling me perfect is going to get you out of this, nice try but no."

"I didn’t call you perf - " He glowers over the top of his sandwich. "Okay fine, so you can hit a lightbulb from a billion miles away. Big deal."

"It’s a big deal when this stuff could save your life," Rhodey says softly, the worry in his voice tempering Tony’s irritation slightly.

"You think you’ll win this but you won’t," he mutters petulantly, and Rhodey smiles.

"If you’re too proud to admit that you’ve gotten a little too used to the auto-targeting in the suit, that’s fine. But don’t take your frustration out on me."

"Please, you think I need JARVIS to shoot for me? You couldn’t be more wrong. You’re so wrong it hurts."

Shaking his head, Rhodey sips at his soda while Tony finishes off his sandwich. “Fine. Come back to base with me and prove it.”

"Loser has to tell Pepper I set her favorite purse on fire." Tony licks mayonnaise from his fingers and stands, Rhodey picking up his coat and doing the same.

" _You’re_ telling Pepper that regardless,” he says and follows Tony out the door.

*

Pistol in his hand, Tony’s starting to regret whatever non-bets he made about this. Rhodey had hit the bullseye at the shooting range with ease and handed the gun over to Tony, waiting for him to mirror the attempt. So far he’s shot about every part of the target except the middle, and he’s trying really hard not to look at Rhodey’s ‘told you so’ face.

"Stop locking your arm like that," Rhodey tells him, coming over and moving Tony’s arm himself. "And you’re standing like you’ve never shot a gun before." He maneuvers Tony’s hips into the right position, shifting his left leg a little, and Tony grins at him.

"If you wanted an excuse to touch me you could’ve just said something," he says with a leer, but Rhodey only snorts and backs away so Tony can try again.

This time he hits the target exactly where he wants it, and he lowers the gun without looking over at Rhodey. “That means nothing.”

"Of course. Purely coincidence." Rhodey takes the pistol back from Tony, checking how many bullets are left. "Best out of three?"

"Oh, you’re on." Tony’s enthusiasm is infectious, and Rhodey smiles before he shoos Tony out of the way and takes his position in front of the target.

Rhodey wins best out of three and won’t take Tony’s offer of best out of five. Tony sulks the rest of the afternoon, but he doesn’t admit that the auto-targeting probably has made him rusty.


End file.
